The present invention relates to internet communications and, more particularly, to user selection of a wide area network resource, such as a web site.
The present invention is concerned with user selection of wide area network resources, such as a network resource identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
Users of computer systems have access to a vast amount of information through their network connections. The Internet, for example, is a wide area network that interconnects computer networks around the world and provides a user client device connected to the Internet with access to a broad array of resources connected to the Internet, i.e. access to servers that are also connected to the Internet. In order for information to be accessible to a wide number of client devices and servers, a body of software, a set of protocols and a set of defined conventions are generally needed that permit intercommunication. The World Wide Web is one example of such a body of software, set of protocols and set of defined conventions.
A user typically accesses the resources of the World Wide Web through the use of a browser application program. A browser typically executes on a client device connected to Internet. The user enters a resource identifier value that identifies a desired web resource through a command input line of the user interface of the browser. The resource identifier value is typically a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that is resolved into an address for a server device having the desired object. See Request for Comment (RFC) 1630 available through the Internet Engineering Task Force at URL www.ietf.org.
When a URL value has been input to the browser, the browser transmits a command containing the URL value. The command is typically formatted according to a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) that provides a convention for commands and replies over the web. The URL value in the command is typically resolved to an address for a server connected to the web and to a resource on the server, such as a document. See RFC 1945. The server that receives the command will typically respond with an HTTP reply message containing information. This information is typically in the form of a document that uses the Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML).
When the client device receives the response from the server containing the HTML document, the browser will process the document according to the HTML standard and display the resulting page.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of an architecture 10 involving a client device 20 and a server device 50 that can operate in the manner described above. Client device includes a keyboard 24 and a mouse 26 as user input devices. Client 20 is connected to a local area network (LAN) 30 via communication link 22. LAN 30 is connected to a public Internet Protocol (IP) network 40, i.e. a wide area network, that provides access to a broad range of network resources including those of server 50, which is connected to public IP network 40 via communication link 52. A browser application residing in client device 20 is controlled by a user through a combination of command inputs via mouse 26 in concert with keyboard 24.
While the use and operation of browser applications is generally well understood by those relatively skilled in the use of computers, the browser user interface may appear confusingly complex to less adept or less patient users. Access to a particular resource typically requires advance knowledge of the exact URL value corresponding to the resource. Also, URL values themselves can become rather complex and a spelling or formatting error in a URL value will generally result in a failure to access the desired resource. Therefore, the need remains for a simplified user interface that allows for the selection of wide area network resources.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, some of the problems associated with selecting a network resource in the prior art are overcome.
An embodiment of a client system, according to the present invention, for accessing wide area network resources has a display with a viewing area and a previewing area, where the previewing area includes a selection frame. A user selection knob of the client system is configured to generate a clock signal and a data signal, where the clock signal indicates that the knob is being rotated and the data signal indicates a direction of rotation of the knob. The system includes a selection switch configured to generate a selection signal. The system also includes a memory subsystem configured to store a predetermined hierarchy of network resources, where the hierarchy of network resources includes a plurality of network resource identifier pairs. Each one of the plurality of network resource identifier pairs further includes a network resource identifier value corresponding to a network resource accessible via a wide area network and a graphic representing the network resource. The system further includes a network access circuit configured to communicate with the wide area network. A processor system of the client system is coupled to the display, the user selection knob, the selection switch, the memory subsystem, and the network access circuit. The processor system is configured to receive and decode the clock signal and the data signal in order to control a data index that selectively indexes one of the plurality of network resource identifier pairs. The processor system is further configured to display the graphic from the network resource identifier pair indicated by the data index in the selection frame of the display. Responsive to receiving the selection signal, the processor system is also configured to format a command that includes the network resource identifier value of the network resource identifier pair indicated by the data index and transmit the command onto the wide area network via the network access circuit.
An embodiment of a method for selecting network resources on a wide area network, according to the present invention, involves storing a hierarchy of the network resources accessible via the wide area network. The hierarchy of network resources includes a plurality of network resource identifier pairs, where each one of the plurality of network resource identifier pairs further includes a network resource identifier value corresponding to a network resource accessible via the wide area network and a graphic representing the network resource. The method calls for rotating a user selection knob to control a data index to the hierarchy of network resources, where the data index indicates one of the plurality of network resource identifier pairs. The method also calls for displaying in a selection frame the graphic from the network resource identifier pair indicated by the data index and selecting the network resource indicated by the data index. The method further sets forth accessing the selected network resource using the network resource identifier value from the network resource identifier pair indicated by the data index.
Another embodiment of a method, according to the present invention, for selection of input to a browser application involves providing a hierarchy of network resources, each network resource having a network resource identifier value and a graphic and rotating a knob to control a subset of network resources within the preview window from the hierarchy of network resources. The method further involves providing a preview area on a display and displaying the graphics corresponding to the network resources within the preview window. The method also sets forth selecting a graphic displayed within the preview area and inputting the user resource identifier value corresponding to the selected graphic to the browser application.